U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,783 shows a slat wall advertising panel having a light weight peripheral frame rather than fasteners. U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,674 discloses spaced apart solid panels glued to a backboard. U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,803 discloses a solid panel having multiple grooves secured to a wall by fasteners in the grooves and inserts to conceal the fasteners. U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,961 has hooks and fastening means in the same channel but provides no cover to conceal the fastening means. Furthermore U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,961 requires two panels to create one slot. This design could create problems if panels are not perfectly mated. Screws that are driven into interlocked panels of U.S. Pat. 6,421,961 can cause panels to separate where they are joined at the slot. If this happens, misalignment occurs and the opening of the slot can exceed the normal operating width and the result is loss of strength and support from the slot as well as panels that are not level.
The present invention seeks to provide a panel having a high strength to low weight ratio. This reduction in weight reduces manufacturing costs resulting in savings for the end user. A lightweight panel is easier for one person to install. Placement of fasteners above the hook retaining slot rather than in the slot increases the load carrying capability of the panel. A further feature of this invention is that the panels snap and lock into each other which ensures correct alignment and leveling of panels. This reduces the overall time for installation of the panels. This locking snap feature of the panels allows the user to let go of the mated panels during the installation process. The panel of this invention also provides a slot that accepts accessories which is one piece and integrated with the panel. The heads of the fasteners are completely concealed by a cover provided on the panel above thereby making the installed panels much more aesthetically pleasing. In other systems, if a screw is driven into the wrong place, then removing the screw leaves a visible hole in the panel. The cover on the adjacent panel conceals any such holes.